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Friday, November 9, 2012

Forgive me in advance. This is one of those super long, photo intensive posts. And I mean giant. I decided that I could either drag things out into four more posts or just get one good one out there, so here it is!

Our stairs are so close to completion! And I am excited that I no longer have to hide their unfinished hideousness! Wait. I don't think my excitement came across well enough. I AM OVER THE MOON IN LOOOOOOVE WITH OUR STAIRS! I can't stress enough that the stair project is one of my favorite projects that we have done to date on our home. They are the first thing you see when you enter our house, so having them finished {minus a hand rail}, is such a relief.

The next step in the process was to finally add some treads and risers! Eeek! My favorite part!

But it definitely didn't happen over night! So much was involved!

Since our original stairs were just construction stairs with carpet over the top, we decided that if we wanted the oooh la la pretty stairs, we would have to put in new risers and treads. Considering our DIY skill level, that meant picking up stair kits from Home Depot {vs. trying to create our own}.

They came in an unfinished oak, which meant that we would be responsible for finishing them ourselves.

While searching for the kits, we also realized that we purchased our lower level flooring from Home Depot as well, and went over to the flooring department to grab a sample for color comparison purposes.

Once we had the stain and supplies purchased...

We went to a family member's workshop to lay out all of the treads and risers on saw horses.

We put three coats of white glossy paint on the riser panels with a foam roller...

And three coats of Minwax Walnut stain on the treads, applied with foam brushes...

Once the stairs were to a shade that we liked {we had our sample floor piece placed near the stairs until we achieved the desired wood tone}, they received four coats of Minwax Polyurethane {we applied the stain and poly per the directions on the cans}.

The stairs and treads sat for a few days to cure prior to the day of installation!

Speaking of the day of installation! It was a doozy! But we did it in just one day!

The treads were too long for the width of the staircase, so they had to be cut down to size. Our walls were not perfectly even, so each stair tread cut was custom to the wall {which is why we didn't cut them down to size prior to staining and polying}.

To cut the finished treads, we started out by measuring our cut line and marking it with the green tape....

Next, we measured a second time to draw a straight cut line onto the green tape...

And also added a second piece of painters tape to protect our tread from the circular saw that would be cutting off the excess tread.

Not only did the painters tape protect the top of the tread from the saw, it also reduced splintering and cracking of the finish.

When measuring, we accounted for the fact that we would have to do some minor sanding to custom fit each board and to give the edge a nice and smooth finish.

The risers were cut down in the same fashion.

To install the treads and risers, we used a construction grade adhesive, along with a brad nailer.

And once each step was placed, my Mr. used his weight to set it.

Looking pretty sharp!

We followed this process all the way to the tippy top!

Things were looking pretty spiffy at this point! And after caulking all of the nail holes and giving the risers a final coat of white paint to clean it all up, I was ready to call it good!

But I couldn't. The upper half of the walls were just not working for me. They were painted in Behr's Navajo White about 6-7 years ago when we painted our kitchen cabinets. It was color matched to some tile and although it was a great face lift from the original dated oak cabinets back in the day, I have been feeling like it doesn't reflect our more current and colorful style. The color reads very yellow beige and I have been slowly working gray undertones throughout our home. So looking up and down the stairs at the yellowy walls didn't do all of the hard work we had just done any justice.

Knowing that within the next year, the entire kitchen and living room will hopefully be renovated and opened up into one large space, I have been searching for the perfect paint color to use to unify our entire main level.

I had a few of the suggestions mixed and painted onto the wall and found that I was still coming up short. Everything was too light, too dark, too white, too blue... and then one day I spotted it. Glidden's Smooth Stone won the gold medal!

Although it isn't the perfect mix with the existing green in the living room, it will be the perfect color for our living room/kitchen/dining combo space down the line, so onto the walls it went! And it works great with the color at the bottom of the stairs, making it feel intentional and seamless!

At the top of the stairs we added a couple of hooks behind the door {since we have no entry closet}, which are intended to be a place for our guests to keep their coats and bags while they visit.

Ready to see how the stairs turned out after all of the staining, polying, painting, installing, caulking, painting and even more painting?

Hello lovely stairs!

We LOVE them. Oh yeah, I said that. But we do! Such a fantastic difference from what we lived with for the last two years!

We still have to add a railing of sorts. We are still researching options and styles but I will be sure to let you know as soon as we come up with something awesome. Until then, let's just be in awe of the beautiful transformation of our secret stairs!

Totally worth the wait!

Oh, and I am so taking suggestions on keeping these babies clean. The top step is already dusty again by the time I get to the bottom! Although I am exaggerating, it is feeling like a daily task keeping them nice and purdy so if you have any quick and easy stair cleaning tips, I would love ya forever!

Update! Our railing has been installed! You can check out that post here.

If you find a way to keep that dust away, I'll be keen to know the secret. Our wooden stairs, which everyone sees when they enter our house, are always dusty. The only answer I've found is daily sweeping (or living with the dust).

Jen, how in the world do you keep up with dusting all that white? I love how crisp and clean it looks, but unfortunately I would never be able to pull it off with my 4 munchkins. I'd really like to know! Is there a secret tip? haha

Hi Jaime!I actually just use the brush attachment on our vacuum on the baseboards and cabinets once a week and it really helps the dust from building. All of our white woodwork washes up nicely should it get dirty. And it is also quick and easy to touch up if necessary.

I love everything. Great work - you guys are really serious DIYers!! I don't think I'd ever trust myself with all that staining. I have no suggestions for keeping the dust away in the first place, but a microfibre mop will get rid of it nice and quickly :-)

Your stairs are beautiful! Love the wall color even with the green. I second the microfiber mop head. NOT the disposable ones, but the micro cloths that are washable (just don't use fabric softeners) . We've had light grey walls for over 20 years since we had this house built. We've never grown tired of the color and find it peaceful.

I love the stairs. I have a split entry house and the first thing people see is the dingy carpet that acts as a dust bunny catcher since we have laminate every where else. We have a dog, and I've learned that as much as id rather sweep a lightweigt broom, vaccuuming or microfiber is a better way to go. Or even better, put some colorful kids art on the walls going down to distract peope from the dirt on the steps!! Maybe you won't see it as much once the handrail is up since you won't be needing so much to(literally) watch your steps down your steps!

I love them so much! I tried to get my husband to redo our stairs in wood, but he was too scared about the kids slipping and falling (probably a good thing, since, I've already fallen down the stairs once with the carpeting!). But what is your suggestion for preventing falls with your kids?

We just talked with them about the importance of gong slow and being careful. I was worried they would be super slick but they really aren't all that bad. I have heard you can get some sort of grippy tread for the stairs, but I don't know too much about those options.

I haven't ever left a comment before but have been cyberstalking your blog for a long time. I absolutely love your stairs and your style! When DH and I finally buy our dream home I am positive I will be taking a que from you and DIY-ing it up.

Oh my! That is beautiful! I love it! As for the dust, if you rub your baseboards with a fabric softener sheet, it repels the dust. Its worth a try on the stairs, but I don't know if that would make it slippery. Maybe wait for your handrail before trying it out ;) Love the gray you chose too! I just painted our kids bathroom gray and I love how it makes white pop.

These turned out AMAZING! So fresh and crisp. I love the dark wood against the white and your paint choice was perfect. No help in the dust department.....Swiffer duster in your back pocket at all times? ;)

Crank up some tunes, grab a damp microfibre cloth, with a jiggle in your hips and that tune on your lips, shimmy your way backwards down the steps, swiping each one as you go... making it fun helps it get done! :) Add it to your laundry routine (cuz your laundry is in the basement right?), make it a habit.

I agree with ArtsyMomma! We have espresso furniture in our room, and before I discovered the dryer sheet secret, I had to dust daily. Now I dust once a week and run a dryer sheet over the furniture directly after...No more dust for 5 or 6 days!

I am SO trying this on my furniture next time I dust (maybe today!). I have a box of dryer sheets I no longer use for laundry since using dryer balls. Perhaps I found another use for them, yeah! I hated the thought of just throwing them away.

Before reading this post I'd never ever have imagined that I would be that impressed with stairs, ever. But I am, you guys really did an amazing job, these stairs really are beautiful! I really like how the colors work together and of course the panels. Great, inspiring job, plain awesomeness! (Honestly, I just thought, I'd love our stairs to look like that - if we ever have stairs.)Tipping my imaginary hat.

I have been looking forward to this update! You guys did not disappoint, what a professional finish you have achieved. Well done! It must be a pleasure to come home and look down at that lovely staircase. Your future plans for upstairs sound exciting, too.

Yes! Great point! We don't wear socks too often throughout most of the year but more now that it has been chillier, but no socks on the stairs is a helpful tip for those concerns. Or grippy socks/slippers :)

Turned out just beautiful. Love those kits too. I used them at my Dad's house and what a difference. I'm still twisting my husband's arm to tear our the carpet on our main stairs. Our basement stairs is painted and I find that a hand vac used every other day keeps the dust to a minimum, but it's not perfect. But Hey I'd rather see the dust than hide it in the carpet.

Oooh la la! Bravo on a beautiful job - the stairs are to die for. For cleaning them, I'd use microfiber. I also run dryer sheets over my baseboards to keep the dust away, but not sure if that would be okay for stairs...

Oh Jen, these turned out gorgeous!! As for cleaning.. I too would try the dryer sheet thing. I saw it on Pinterest. Our basement stairs are not finished either. hmmm.... going to have to show my hubby this. ;) We are doing a board and batten treatment to the laundry room. It would look so cool down our stairs. I thought World Market closed here?? Where is there a World Market open?

What a beautiful job? Your stairs are so close to your front door. I'm guessing that is where most of the dust comes in. I would check your HVHC system to see how long the filter stays clean. Might have to clean it more often. Anyway, it's just a thought. I prefer to dust with a damp rag to get rid of the dust.

I have a microfiber dust mop that bends at the edges (from Bed, Bath and Beyond) that is PERFECT for stairs. You can turn it into the corners at the backs of each stair, push the dust down as you go and then use a dustbuster to vacuum up your pile once you reach the bottom! Takes me one minute for the entire staircase!

Thank you so much!!! Tonight I will be putting the second coat of Glidden Parchment White on my daughter's dresser ... all thanks to you and your fabulous blog, inspiring me to make my home better. :) :) :)

Thank you! Here is the source for the pendant light: http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100468947/h_d2/ProductDisplay?selectedCatgry=SEARCH+ALL&jspStoreDir=hdus&superSkuId=202573320&catalogId=10053&navFlow=3&keyword=100468947&Ntpc=1&langId=-1&Nu=P_PARENT_ID&storeId=10051&Ntpr=1&ddkey=Search&AID=11013433&PID=5654230&SID=skim27646X859238X61c1680f18c961f9ca4e1160121d59a7&cj=true&cm_mmc=CJ-_-5654230-_-11013433#.UJ9MW5G9KSM

We have steep stairs which currently have carpet. Thinking about taking out the carpet but concerned about them being too slippery. wonder about having carpet set in the middle- kind of recessed into the tread. Has anyone done this and are you happy with the results?

Beautiful stairs! You guys did such a great job on those, you must be in heaven now! I absolutely love the color on the wall too. As for keeping them dust free, I'm curious to see what others say too. I tried dryer sheets, but I found they made the flooring slippery and they leave behind a waxy residue that is a pain in the butt to mop over. But it could also have been the ones I was using. Can't wait to see what other projects you have up your sleeve!

Your stairs are absolutely stunning! We have awful stairs to a finished basement... so many reasons why they are awful... but the idea of figuring out a solution is overwhelming. This gives me an idea for someday! Thanks for sharing.

We have had them on the list, it was just a bigger project to tackle and it came down to timing and weather. Plus, we had to get all the floors, trim and doors in the lower level in before we wanted to finish the stairs. We actually had the treads for almost the whole two years, but we just had to wait until the time was right :)

You and your husband did an admirable job on the stairs. I especially like the trim on either side of the stairs. Am interested in seeing what you finally choose for railings. Good job on the photos and step-by-step explanation of this entire project.

Beautiful. As for cleaning, have you ever tried plain old hot water, vinegar and DAWN dish soap? We have wood floors on our whole main level and I have tried SO many products. Just a few months ago a friend introduced me to this new recipe and I LOVE it. Plus its super easy and cheap! Fill up a bucket with about a gallon of HOT water, add 2 cups white vinegar and about 3 Tblsp dish soap. Dawn works best--just make sure its not the hand renewal kind or you get this funny residue. You can use a mop or just a soft cloth to wipe. The vinegar has that smell to it but it goes away fast. Sometimes I like to add a few drops of essential oil as well. The natural oils add shine to the wood and they smell nice too. You can also toss a tea bag into the bucket as well and the tea will naturally treat the wood. Good luck!

Wow they look amazing!! You are so inspiring, Jen. You make me feel like maybe I can try tackling some home improvement projects too! Thanks for your wonderful blog! -Dallashttp://daybydayorganization.wordpress.com

Your stairs turned out so beautiful!!! I painted nearly my whole house in Smooth Stone last year, and I LOVED the color and thought it was the perfect gray, without any weird undertones. Unfortunately (for me) we had to sell the house and relocate before my redecorating was done, but here is my progress for anyone who wants to see the color in a different environment: http://hothotheatons.blogspot.com/2012/08/big-changes-home-photos.html

Wish I had some advice on cleaning the stairs, but I liked the microfiber hand mitt idea.

This is amazing! I had no idea you could get stair treads like this! I think we here in Utah may be done with garage projects but I will totally pin for next spring! It is so beautiful! Thanks for your inspiration!

We just had hardwood put in our upstairs and the steps as well. I can't believe how dusty they get so quickly! I always used a swiffer vac in my kitchen and foyer/hallway to get the crumbs and dust up and I just bought a second one to keep upstairs. I love it and swear by that thing. And the best part is my kids think it is fun to use when I pull it out, so they end up doing some of the clean up as well ;) I also use the swiffer duster with the extendable handle for my furniture dusting, and one day I decided to use it on my way down the steps. It was great, I just kept wiping the dust to the step below, and by the time I was at the bottom, I used the swiffer vac to get all of the bigger particles up.

Okay, I have serious stair envy right now. The dark stained treads with white risers is such a pretty, classic look. And the paneling? Perfection! I'd grin like a fool every day at those stairs, which I'm sure you do. :)

Was it difficult for the guys to apply the taping mud? We are interested in batten board treatment in our house, but all that cutting is causing some trepidation with my husband...skipping a step and mudding instead would seem easier. Love love love all you do!

We used a box of 20 minute taping mud to skim the wall flat between the upper and lower boards, since our walls have a texture to them. Doing that, eliminated the need to cut and install smooth panels using an brad nailer and glue. It only took a couple of minutes to smooth on the mud, we did three total coats, sanding in-between each coat. We felt it was easier, but my husband has experience using the mud so that may have helped?

Dark floors or stair treads will always show dust. I had lovely dark hardwood floors in my last house and everything showed up. There are a couple of tricks to cutting down on dust but the toe prints are inescapable. I was so disappointed that my floors only looked lovely immediately after cleaning and before being tread upon. Toe prints are even more noticeable after polishing the floor (I used a hardwood polish for cleaning) and my lovely golden dog's hair showed up considerably. After that experience, I will never have dark flooring again ~sniff~ I'd never tried the dryer sheet trick but if you have forced air heat, changing the filter regularly and using inexpensive vent filters in the floor register helps.

wow oh wow!!! those look amazing! and dang, what a lot of work...your mister is a gem! We'd be staring at 2 steps still at my house! ;) Love your wall color too...def going to check it out. I've been searching for something similar. xoxo

really nice looking space. btw was reading one of your older posts - we took a road trip & survived .... saw about world market. FYI. it is baaack in Minneapolis! Edina,MN (not Woodbury) to be exact, in the same location it used to have a store 4-5 yrs ago. just started this fall, i think.

Beautiful! We pulled carpet off of 2 flights in our house and had wood put in. We have 3 boys and they didn't like it, but now they don't run up and down the stairs. My boys are always scuffing the white risers with their big feet (black soled shoes maybe?). The Mr. Clean Magic Erase helps with these marks.

Jen your stairs and walls are GORGEOUS!!!! Love how it turned out. I want to do my stairs a darker wood like this as well. Really Gorgeous!!! And the paint color you picked out for the walls is beautiful. I've been looking for a "grayish" color myself. I'll have to check this one out and see if it works in my space. :)

Hi! So I am dying to know how you got that awesome finish with the poly. Everytime I use poly I end up with a ton of bubbles and a hard clear finish. Yours looks beautiful, bubble-free, and you can even still see the texture of the woodgrain throughout. Do you already have some sort of step by step on your site that I can refer to. I love building my own pieces of furniture or making over older ones but this finishing step gives me anxiety!

I am so glad you posted this project since we are considering a similar project for our own stairs (we have a couple of quirks to work around-more on that later. Later being if I ever get the project done). I have a couple of technical questions about the stairs which I am hoping can help us out. One-how did you decide on the heights you wanted-ie. how high did you set the stair skirt and how high did you set the top of the paneling treatment? Why did you choose those heights (building code, liked how it looked, other)? We are just trying to figure out all the math at this point and are wondering how you came to your conclusions. Thanks for your help.

It really depends on the number of stairs and the products you select. You can snag a cost on the treads in the link in the post, plus you will need to factor the cost of stain, poly, construction glue and brushes. We used tools we already had on hand which also saved us money. Our total cost was around $600.

wow - looks amazing! we have oak floors with a light stain similar to your upstairs. Do you think its "ok" to do this in an angry way where you walk in to light floors but have dark wood on the stairs with white risers?

We went with the darker stairs since we have darker floors in the lower level and love them and hope to do the same in the upper level someday. We have the lighter floors now upstairs, and they still work great with the stairs. I was really surprised, but I do like the contrast. We do have a lot of white and espresso furniture in our upper level, so I think it all ties together.

I have been inspired by this post for a while and we are about to start on our own staircase. I would love to hear your opinion on how the stain and poly you used are holding up. I see lots of bad reviews on that brand especially from pros but see lots of Diy bloggers use it, I just cant find where they update in durability some time later. Please let us know! Thank you!!!

Just want to give credit where credit is due..we recently finished off our cellar stairs leading to finished basement. The contractor wanted to know how I wanted to finish/detail the walls going down the stairs. I remembered your blog post and now have an exact replica! I love it and have had many compliments. Thanks so much for a great post.

As I was reading what you were looking for in the wall color, I was thinking, she needs Stone! We painted some of our spaces that color and it's the perfect not gray/gray! Then I kept reading and saw that you used it :) Everything looks great!!

Sorry to hear that. :( We have noticed some scratching so we try to be good about keeping their nails clipped. I try to convince myself it is just added character, however, both hubby and I are a little frustrated with some of the markings as well. Not sure of the solution, our dogs live on both levels...

Hi, I love how your stairs turned out! So I have been inspired to do the same to mine. How long did you wait between staining? I saw that you gave it three coats, so I was just wondering did you sand each coat and how long did you wait. I appreciate your help. Thanks!

You will definitely want to read the directions on the can of stain you select. Most often times it is NOT recommended to sand in-between staining coats, however, some stains do allow for it. It really depends on the type you opt for. However, with paint, we always try to lightly sand in-between coats to get a nice, smooth finish.

Hi! Love your stairs! I'm currently trying to do something like this to my basement stairs. Can you give me some insight on where you put your railing? I'm struggling on where to put mine. Thank you! : )Sabrina

We still haven't added our railing as we were waiting until we did a major furniture swap (we didn't want to have to remove it shortly after installing it). We are still planning on adding it along the top edge of the wainscoting detail. I will be sure to post about it when we get it done, should be included with our current kitchen/living room renovation. xoxo!

I am so glad I found your post. I have been talking to flooring companies and they charge 30 - 60 dollars per step to change from carpet to wood. With 16 steps it is totally out of our budget but if we can do it ourselves it might still be possible. Kathleen

Hi Jen,We are thinking of changing our carpeted stairs to wood/laminate. Just wondering: Why did you choose to use the stair kits vs installing flooring and nose-molding?Thanks for your input, and for sharing your beautiful home!Rozlynn

Hi Jen! We are looking at putting vinyl planks in our kitchen and will end up ripping out the carpet in the living room and stairs also. Do you happen to know what flooring you used? It Looks very similar to what we have picked out and I am trying to determine if I can use the same stain.

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